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The 2010 SHOT Show – Part 1

The year 2010 started out different than predicted. We do not have a colony on the moon and there’s no manned mission to Jupiter to see what went wrong back in 2001. I guess that also means Jupiter will not turn into a second sun, and Europa will not harbor life 20,000 years from now.

Big change at BeemanAnd there have been some interesting differences in the airgun world, as well. For starters, the Beeman company is now owned by the Shanghai Airgun Company, who will continue to import the Chinese Beeman-labeled guns and sell them under the Beeman name. Pyramyd Air has been selected as the distributor for the Beeman R-series airguns, so the R1, R9 and R 7 will still be with us; and the HW guns that are their counterparts will continue as separate models.

The CEO of Shanghai told me that the Shanghai presence will diminish now in the U.S. They will be concentrating on the Chinese versions of Beeman guns in the future. What all this entails is anybody’s guess, since I think Shanghai is still figuring it out.

Where was Daisy?Daisy failed to attend the SHOT Show this year. That’s the airgun equivalent of General Motors failing to attend the Detroit Auto Show, which, given their current situation, is not entirely out of the question. There was some talk and speculation about what it could mean for Daisy, but nobody seems to know the real story. It wasn’t a good thing.

CrosmanCrosman had a huge number of new products at the show. The two new PCP pistols were big news, as were the new lines of Nitro Piston guns for Remington and Benjamin. Crosman will no longer carry the Nitro Piston under its own name. The Benjamin Super Streaks are turning into the Benjamin Trail, which will have the Nitro Piston.

The Crosman booth was larger than ever this year.

They also had a 6mm paintball for airsoft games. And I got to shoot it in their booth in a captive plexiglass gallery. It fired perfectly through an automatic electric gun (AEG) M4 on both semi- and full-auto. In the past, paintballs in 6mm have had uniformity and breakage problems in the feeding mechanisms of AEGs, so let’s hope the good showing means the problems have been solved.

Crosman is now putting Weaver scope bases on their spring guns, so finally someone has listened to our pleas. Buy Weaver mounts for any future Crosman or Crosman-made spring guns.

In a move toward total understanding of their product, Crosman is giving us scope bases that really work on their spring guns.

PistolsI saw the new Marauder and Silhouette pistols. I’ll go into the details when I get both guns to test for you. But believe me when I say that you’ll be pleased.

Coming around the middle of this year. The new Marauder pistol has an even better trigger than the rifle. It’s just as adjustable and now has a positive, adjustable trigger stop. It’s everything you hoped for. Three thousand psi air pressure gives about 24 good shots (three magazines of .22 caliber pellets).

The single-shot Silhouette PCP pistol is based on the 2240 frame, which had to be updated to accept the reservoir. Trigger is standard but improved. Should be available in a couple months.

But the biggest news was something Crosman didn’t show, but which is under development for release in 2010. It’s a .25 caliber Premier pellet. They took the .20 caliber Premier as the model for the new .25, so it should have a super-good ballistic coefficient. Expect it to weigh in the 27-grain range, which will allow use in powerful springers as well as PCPs.

With that pellet on the market, perhaps the first really accurate .25 caliber pellet since the end of the Diana Magnum a decade ago, Crosman has ample justification for the .25 caliber versions of the Marauder rifle and the Benjamin Trail Nitro Piston rifle. Happy days are here for fans of the quarter-inch bore.

GamoSpeaking of .25 caliber, Gamo showed a .25 caliber version of their Hunter Extreme rifle. This is another good reason why an accurate pellet is needed for this largest of the smallbore pellet calibers. The Hunter Extreme is the most powerful spring rifle generally available, and the addition of a .25 caliber version makes perfect sense. This will be something to test in the coming months.

Gamo has added .25 caliber to their Hunter Extreme stable of guns!

Gamo also has three new .25 caliber pellets. One is their PBA series and another is also lead-free, I believe, but they also have a lead pellet, as well. More fuel for the quarter-inch-bore fire.

Besides the Hunter Extreme, the new SOCOM Extreme has the same velocity in a shrouded barrel gun. It’s coming out in .177 and .22; but if the .22 is well-received, they’ll also bring it out in a .25.

Big news was the laser designator and illuminator (I was told not to call it a flashlight) they’ve brought out. Imagine being able to focus a green laser like a flashlight over three to five miles! Mount one on your scope and you will be able to take varmints at night through your daytime scope. Critters are not spooked by the green light.

UmarexLike Crosman, Umarex is another major manufacturer that had a lot of new products to show. Some of them, like the Colt Defender, we were fortunate to receive early enough that it was tested by the time SHOT opened.

I also saw a remarkable new select-fire H&K carbine that runs on green gas. It’s all-metal and very heavy. Most impressive looking and feeling. Justin Biddle of Umarex USA told me it’s the one gun airsoft shooters were looking for in their booth. I hope to do a report on it later this year.

I predict this green gas HK model will create a big stir in the airsoft world.

RWS will now offer a .25 caliber Superdome pellet. I asked for some samples to test for you. I don’t know when they’ll be available, but it’ll be this year. One more plus for .25 caliber.

The news that will interest most of you has to do with parts for RWS guns. I spoke with Glen Seiter of Umarex USA, who told me that target aperture front sight globes are available for the front ramps on sidelever sporting rifles. That lead me to ask about the Diana rear target sight that will also fit those guns–as well as most of the breakbarrels. Glen said he would check into its availability. I’m going to stay on top of this and see if we can’t get some new sights for the rifles many of you already own.

I also asked Glen if he could offer us a package of ten steel breech shims for the breakbarrels. He says he has them on hand but never thought of offering them for sale before. So, we’ll also look into that possibility.

AirForceThe Edge was the big news in the AirForce booth this year. Shooters, dealers and coaches were stopping by to tell AirForce about the success that rifle has created in their clubs. And the dealers were clamoring for more guns!

The AirForce booth was full of customers for the entire show.The BKL line of scope mounts was also receiving some attention. Word is getting out that these fine mounts are available again, and AirForce is gearing up production to handle the demand that’s already there.

Pyramyd AirPyramyd Air had an expanded booth this year that included Air Arms, as well. And the American Airgunner crew used the booth as a base of operations as they filmed the SHOT Show. In the Pyramyd booth, an expanded Air Venturi line of guns was displayed, headed by the new Bronco. They were offering show specials on the Bronco to their dealers to get them out into the system.

The Pyramyd booth was one of the airgunning central stations at SHOT 2010. More to come in a future report.

I spoke with Bill Saunders of Air Arms and am delighted to report that the wonderful 10-meter Sporter-class target rifle I told you about a week ago is not dead. They’ve scaled back the features to become acceptable to the NRA and CMP, and we should be seeing yet another wonderful 10-meter target rifle soon.

I was always scanning the horizon at the show for new airgun products.

90 thoughts on “The 2010 SHOT Show – Part 1”

Shanghai now owns Beeman? I feel like a fool for not seeing that coming. Wonder what Mr. Beeman thinks about this. When they talk about a 'diminished Shanghai presence' I assume they mean the 'Industry' branded products. I wonder what this means for Tech Force and Compasseco?

When I found what seemed to be a common breech seal shimming problem with Diana 34 variants, I asked Glenn Seiter about it. He said that their service depertment never really noted this to be a consistent issue. I'm wondering if they just never looked…

I finally had a chance to run some H&N Final Match Pellets(ones in the tins) through my 953 and both the pistol and the rifle versions seem like they are going to give the RWS R10 rifle pellets a run for their money.

With so many great new products coming our way I think I'll have to ask for a raise AND get a second job AND win the lottery…

Could a pellet comparo be made, not a real 10 pellet comparo, I know it's been made, but on an acurate rifle I'd like to see what kind of accuracy crosman "cheapos" that everyone can buy at Wally World give against the favored pellet for that given rifle.

Vince, Your RWS contact may have been telling the truth, but the answer you got was a standard service persons answer to any problem. If the tech were to confirm a problem, that the factory has yet to confirm, the guy gets in big trouble!

Shanghai buying Beeman can't possibly be a good thing. It's like AMF buying Harley Davidson except worse. Maybe I'm stating the obvious. That and the fact that Daisy wasn't even there make me feel queasy for some reason.

On the other hand, Crosman seems to have shifted product development into overdrive and stepped up quality and performance to boot. The weaver bases are a stroke of genius. They're not pretty, but the ugly little buggers sure hold a scope steady.

By the way I think you meant Benjamin Super Streaks. If Benjamin makes super steaks, I'll take two porterhouses, medium-rare.

Do you think Gamo will sell me one of those great big stupid decals with a fake fps number in 3 inch lettering separately? I think it would look great on the stock of my TX200.

I used to have a Labrador Retriever that seemed to operate on green gas.

Also, in that last photo, airgun products? Are you sure? I thought you two were looking for picanic baskets!

Daisy's lack of attendance isn't exactly cause for alarm. Considering the percentage of their business that is done with Wal-Mart, Dick's Sporting goods, etc. they stand little or nothing to gain financially in sales or signing up new dealers relative to the amount of money that the show would cost them. What they did miss out on was seeing their competitors product lines and getting a feeling of overall general direction that the industry is heading–assuming that they care about following that path…

Several of the big name bicycle companies, Trek for instance, haven't come to the InterBike trade show in years. They just can't justify the hundred thousand dollar outlay for a 3-day venue. Makes sense, as their dealer base is already established and they sell through most of their annual production early every year.

All good news on the Crosman front. Who would have thunk it 10 years ago? I see they finally stole my idea for the weaver base. Good for us, no more scope creep or sheared scope stop pins!

Good to hear that the American Airgunner crew was shooting a segment at the SHOT show. When can we expect to see it? I love the show, but the re-runs are starting to loose their interest. Can you let us know when the new season will start?

I don't know what the 2010 show schedule will be, but I think you may start to see mew episodes later this quarter. I'm taking a smaller part in the show and I'm not as close to the operations as I was last year.

I really haven't shown you the Marauder pistol yet. But while I was there I filmed a segment for Crosman that covers all the features. It was supposed to be up on You Tube by now. All the features are shown there.

Since most Beeman parts for the R-series guns are Weihrauch, I think they will still be easy to get. Pyramyd always carries and sells parts to the guns they sell, so I expect this to continue with the new R-guns, as well.

Glad you arrived home safely. Airport security has become a whole lotta fun these days. When I have an extra 4 hours to spend I'll drop by the airport now and enjoy the free strip searches. I put this towards the top of my list for "How to have fun on a budget."

I've kept my place in line for the Marauder pistol. Hopefully they'll ship sooner than August as guesstimated.

Well, as far as the Chinese owned Beemans it just makes my list of airguns that much shorter. I simply refuse to buy Chinese. That makes my trips to Wally World a bit short as well. I matters to me who owns what I buy.

Slinging Lead, LMAO over the picnic baskets comment!!!

As for the focus on .25cal pellets I think it's great. accuracy in that size pellet will be lethal for the larger varmints.

thank you for the report!On saturday, I was at a gun shop and recognized, thanks to your previous blog, a Plainsman BB pistol, which I immediately bought for $10.It looks in pretty good shape. I will try it once I get the bore de-rusted and once I buy the 8 gr CO2 cylinders.

I have not been able to use the Disco intensively yet. Pump now broke. It does not "inhale", just creates a vacuum that makes it impossible to lift the handle. can only get to about 1,000 psi. I will have to open it up and see what is the obstruction. Any wild thoughts

On the Mosin. I realized that the stock screw in front of the trigger guard and magazine cannot be tightened to hard. Everytime I do that, the POI rises by about 8 inches at 100 yd. If I leave the screw tight but "just so," I get POI exactly where aiming at 100 yd.

Also, the Mosin is now cycling almost 100% with no failures. I took the Dremel out and adjusted the extractor just a little to help it slide and jump the rim. I love this rifle. It feeds and extracts so easily. I am getting 3-inch groups at 100 yd with open sights

Well, first I tried Edith's advice and won $78 from a penny machine. Yeah, sure, it uses pennies, but you can bet up to 300 of them, which makes it a three-dollar machine in my book. Anyway, Edith almost always wins at those so I tried her advice and won $78.

But I just can't play that way. My way is to play pennies at a low rate (15-20 per pull) and drink the "free" beer they bring, for which I tip a buck a bottle. It makes for a longer, slower evening.

All said, I probably didn't lose more than $100 in a seven-day trip. It was the $10 hot dogs and $5 sodas at the show that killed me!

But I got to see Terry Fator live and I saw the car museum at the Imperial Palace, so the trip was fun as well as business. I also lined Pyramyd Air up with a dynamite new pocket knife that I can't wait to show everybody.

In the name of all that is holy do not try and fix your pump. Mine did the exact same thing after less than a half dozen fills. Call Crosman, and be polite but very disappointed. They will fix it or replace it, as they did for me, without cost. You may have to pay for shipping one way. These things are very complicated with their high pressure seals and all, so it just isn't worth the risk.

Well you did great at the casinos.. still got your shirt and pants right?

Oh well, I'll keep working on the trade pile for the USFT.. someday the time will be right.That crosman M1 is complete and just like new!.. you need it and the Rare Vintage Schimel pistol too!.. Air Arms Shamal is still in the safe..am I tempting you??

I can believe some business reasons that Daisy might not choose to attend the show. But if I worked at Daisy, I'd be real worried to see the "Marlin" bb gun in Crosman's new catalog. It seems to be aimed directly at competing with the Red Ryder. And I bet that the RR has been Daisy's main profit source since 1938. Crosman is moving up into the PCP world, but also down to compete with Daisy?BB, I also hope you will review that "Marlin" when it comes out….–Mike U

Slinging Lead is correct about the way Crosman is handling repairs on their pumps. However, there is some info on reparing them if you are so inclined. A little bit of searching on http://talonairgun.com/forum/ will turn it up. Either way works. Crosman has replaced 3 for me.

I made a base for mine that allows me to keep my feet a shoulder width appart out of a piece of aluminum. (Don't forget to counter sink the screw heads–your floor will thank you.) The plate makes it much easier for me to pump.

I also noticed that occasionally, before plate, I would be pushing the handle down at an angle and wondered if that was stressing something inside the pump. Plate is on pump 3 which is still working properly so I don't know for sure if the plate has contributed to its continuing functionallity.

BB,can you give me your best guess….The Marksman mod.70 that was made by HW with remaining parts from BSF has the BSF logo on the endcap,the main tube doesn't have the BSF characteristic dual crimps or the rekord trigger…do you think it would fit a stock inletted for a BSF 70?

Hi Tommy AR6 will not shootany kind of group past 30 yards shots go from one spot to an average of 12 inches in the opposite direction I have tried every pellet from 32 gr. ej's to 14gr. CP's every one will shoot quater size groups at full power 30 yards but nothing past that when a pellet is hand pushed thier is slight resistance at the first 2 inches then it feels as though the barrel opens up then at 2inches from the end of the muzzle it has the same amount of resistance. The pellet has inconsistant rifling marks as if they are over lapped.the tech where i got the gun wants me to send it back to be looked at but also told me this gun was not meant to shot past 30 yards. I thought i read in one of your reviews that the AR6 in 22 call could take small game out to 85 yards? we have used a Marauder to take a squirrel at 87 yards with no problem is the evanix less powerful than the mrod ? i cant seem to get a realistic answer on the internet thier are far to many fantasy tales of over a 100 yards some even 200 shots with airguns.any info would be greatly appreciated.________________________________

An AR6 will certainly shoot accurately past 30 yards. Many shooters use them at 100 yards, getting 3-4-inch groups at that distance. A 1" t0o 1.5" group at 50 yards is about right with Kodiaks/Baracudas and Eun Jins.

Thanks for the report. Regarding the Chinese shift for Beeman, I will be watching with great interest to see if parts start dropping off the R series. I suspect that, from their exalted perspective, that the reason they are shifting to Chinese manufacture is that same as mine–low cost–and that is going to come at a price. No one gives a free lunch, certainly not the Chinese.

When was the last time that something innovative came out of Daisy? If they are getting complacent, I would say they are in trouble.

I love the black bear. That's quite a specimen.

Great news to hear that the Edge is doing well. I would say that is an important if not the most important indicator of the quality of a gun. I would also say that for my mental sweepstakes (for what it's worth) I would pick the Edge over the Crosman Challenger. Accuracy appears to be comparable, but the Challenger harks back to a traditional target rifle configuration while the Edge looks to the future. It reminds me of what are called "tube guns."

All, for my list of iconic guns, I believe I was incorrect that the ultimate police revolver (surely an important category) was the S&W Model 27 in .357 magnum that Wayne enjoys so much. Good as it is, it appears to be a refinement. The real workhorse seems to be the S&W Model 10, the military and police revolver, introducer of the 38 special cartridge and in continuous production for 111 years–since 1899. In addition to equipping police, it apparently was also standard issue to military security and pilots during WWII and later. I believe I also saw it in a movie where a policeman was firing away at a godzilla like creature with his service revolver. What a pedigree. It doesn't look like much, but it must have something going for it. Anyone have direct experience with it?

Yes! Congrats on your Mosin! The three-line rifle is a remarkable battle rifle, as many were from that era. If you reloaded for it I'm sure you could get 5-shot groups down to about an inch at 100 yards.

With the Shot Show now distant I'll ask for advice on obtaining a CO2 pistol, .177 with mag, accurate with trigger around 2 -3 pounds, crisp. Grips much like a 1911. I can't go precharged due to availability and handicapped issues.

To Tom AKA BB PelSaw the answer. One is a Pre charged and the other is discontinued. I commented about tat earlier. I'm looking for CO2, not precharged, 177, decent trigger and accuracy and power. Even a 1911 grip would work for me

derrick38,Green gas is not propain. It is a very similer to it but is diferent because it contains lubercant which means less oiling your green gas airsot gun. Propain is a much cheaper alturnitive but it does not have lubercant in it. It also is slightly more powerfull.

I missed your intended use of your CO2 pistol, but have you checked out what PA has to offer? Have you looked at the build your own CO2 pistol on the Crosman website? Tim at MAC 1 builds some fine CO2 pistols also http://www.mac1airgun.com/

Bud,Yeah, I was going for a quick and dirty answer on "green gas". I think the main thing is, it's not a substitute for the CO2 cartridges we use now.

BB,I think we all want to know if the new trigger from Crosman will retrofit into our 2240's and 50's as well as 1377 and 22's. Of course, it's all contingent on the new trigger being better than what most can accomplish with some polishing and a spring swap.As of right now, it's all speculation as to just how it will retrofit and so on, so I'm not gonna add to that.

I AM excited that the Marauder is available in .25 cal. Amazing that it's taken this long to get a respectable number of .25 cal offerings. Hopefully, parts will eventually be available. I'll be first in line to covert mine from .22 cal. It also opens up the potential availability of good, affordable .25 cal barrels for us hobbyists to make and retrofit various custom projects.

I'm on my second Benjamin pump.

Daisy random thoughts,I think Daisy's biggest strength as a company has been their ability to continue to sell product that was designed generations ago. Those tooling costs are long paid for and act as a huge barrier to competition. It would be extremely difficult to tool up for a production run on a new bb gun–or whatever–and beat Daisy on price. Daisy's stamping machinery for the Red Ryder was probably paid for in 1940's dollars. I'd beat the nostalgia drum as loud as possible if I was in their market position, too. The last thing Daisy wants as a cost factor is to have to innovate–because innovation means new machinery and that kills their biggest advantage–underpricing potential competitors.

Re the broken disco pump . It is pretty easy to fix, but if its even remotely in warranty, I would go to Crosman. Otherwise, unscrew the screw at the bottom of the filter (assuming it's the newer model with the filter in the collar) – you may have to take out a brass screw in adapter to get at it, in which case much harder if that adapter breaks off and you have to drill it out. Anyhow, collar comes up, unscrew the big nut at the bottom, the pump tube comes off, exposing the stuck valve at the bottom. Gingerly remove it with a small screwdriver, clean the goop out of there, put the parts back in reverse order and you are good to go. I think the grease that AirForce/Benjamin uses in this pump thickens with age (but lasts forever).

Re CO2 pistol. Find yourself a Mark 1 (You can't get a Crosman Custom shop gun as good as this 20 year old…)or buy an LD from MAC 1if you can afford the additional $$$.

BB,

Re the Marauder Pistol. Is the trigger in the show model really a Marauder two stage trigger, or is that a 2300 trigger group that was built for the show and future plans are to finish the development later???

I also have a Mosin or 2. Lee makes dies for it and you can get Wolf Gold 7.62x54R ammo for it almost as cheap as buying just the brass alone, and still have decent brass to reload when you're done (if you're into that). My 91/30 does about the same for groups with open sights, and my M44 is a little more accurate with the bayonet out than with it folded (barrel harmonics I suppose). My 91/30 was made in the Tula factory (star with arrow inside it on the breach), and the M44 was made in the Izhevsk factory (triangle with arrow inside it). A little cleaning up and stoning of the 91/30's trigger earned me the best compliment from a shooting friend of mine. "OOoohh! I like that trigger!" Lot's of great possibilties with these Mosins, and a great bargain for the money. Only paid about $80 for each…

The news from Beeman (and Daisy!) let me with a taste of mouth of uncertainty. Airgun industry sounds every time more like automotive industry.The fact is that seeing Beeman owned by Chinese gives me a bit of sadness. I have always seen Beeman like a gate between Europe and America. When I told my father that, he shaked his head.

On the other side, the news from Crosman are rather refreshing. A .25 Marauder? It certainly worth a good look. And for the Bronco, you can tell everyone that your new son will be succesful!

By the way, if you can, some day tell to the people out in PA that they should check they counterpart here in Mexico (its only dealer). It doesn't have the best reputation, and a whole bunch of guys out here would like to have a Pyramyd Air out here. I'm probably will be going to San Diego in a congress soon, and I will make the best of that travel, (mainly with pellets) because prices here are outrageous many times.

everyone,The Chinese ownership of Beeman is very weird to me. Does anyone know what address will appear on Beeman guns? It seems like the PA address would be on the guns. This is a very random question and I understand if no one knows. It is just bothering me.

Tom, thanks for info re D. I checked Pyramid only and they had it discontinued. The M is a PC, but looks great for someone "normal"

Mr. B…. I have built many competition pieces in the past, but due to a couple strokes and heart attacks, ny dexterity is not as good as it once was and neither are the eyes. Cocking a good springer and loading a single pellet is frustrating. I want a degree of accuracy though and am starting from scratch….mostly as therapy, so cannot consider a build it project.

Hi B.B.I think that Crossman missed the mark with with Marauder pistol. Most users would prefer a 2500 PSI set up because it makes pumping it up significantly easier. I also think that in a pistol, adjustable sights are preferable to a scope. Scopes are best suited to rifles. Also I am concerned about the 200 foot per second reduction in power of the Marauder pistol as compared to the rifle version. Less Power, more air needed, and no adjustable sights at nearly the same price point is not exactly a winner to me. Also the stock should be a more attractive wood tone as opposed to the cheaper looking black treatment.-Jeff (Marauder first 100 and Discovery owner)

I'm afraid you are alone in wanting a Marauder pistol that runs at 2500 psi. You lose too many shots at that pressure. An air pistol reservoir is too small for a good shot count at reasonable velocity unless the pressure is 3,000 psi.

The reason the velocity is lower is because of the barrel length. There is no way around it. Pneumatic guns require longer barrels to get faster velocity.

As far open sights on the gun, again most everybody will scope this one. At the price it will sell, you can count on shooters wanting to use it for long-range pistol shooting.

Crosman is still struggling with the 12 foot-pound Benjamin Legacy. They individually admit that it's a wonderful airgun, but have a hard time committing corporate resources to a gun that doesn't fit the U.S. model of what an airgun should be.

PS – I am blown away by the level of involvement you have with the airgunning community at large and the level of availability you make yourself to we who are bitten by the airgun obsessiva neurotica disease! A disease, by the way, with no known cure – because no one WANTS a cure!!!

My humble and sincere thanks for your passion, your devotion, your incredible fund of knowledge and your inumerable contributions to Airgunning and airgunnners all over the world!

The old ones are available on iTunes (on and before August 2008). It's all the great ones starting September 2008 and newer that are NOT available on iTunes for immediate download. The only way i can get them is through the normal internet. Unless there is another way I don't know. I'm a doctor, not an iPhone expert!

The reason they're not on iTunes is because we converted the podcast to a blog format after August 2008. Before that, they were on a different type page that allowed us to upload/submit to iTunes. You can still download any podcast & import it to iTunes & play it on any device that has iTunes software.

If there's anyone who knows how I can submit the newer podcasts to iTunes, please let me know.